Defend the Leaf Village
by zaulster
Summary: Both Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are launching an attack on Konoha! It's up to Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and many others to defend their village.
1. Prologue: A Troubled Past

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Prologue

He sat there, puzzled, thinking about the past.

He sat there, dumbfounded, not knowing what happened.

Of those who suffered, those who gave their lives…

And he didn't understand why… why they did that… why they risked their lives for others.

He thought of how he could do nothing in the time of peril, how he was unable to stop them, while others fought till death.

Not just Orochimaru and the Akatsuki… of the Uchiha clan, who had great faith in him… who put their lives on the line just for him to live.

Of Guy and Lee, the two who shared the greatest sensei-student bond.

And so, he stood up, still thinking about the questions he asked himself, the answers he could not find… He understood, yet he didn't. It was all so confusing… but in the end, he knew he couldn't sit around thinking like that.

He got up and made his run as the events slowly came back to him once again.


	2. Chapter 1: The Start of the Invasion

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 1

The Start of the Invasion

It was silent in the stadium. Tsunade and Gaara sat beside one another, watching below as the fight raged on.

Konohamaru flung yet another kunai, but it was no use. His opponent was too strong for him. He had tried all his weapons, and even an army of shadow clones.

'I never knew the Rain ninja could be so strong!' he thought. The male standing across the field grinned and tossed his umbrella up into the air.

"Time to finish you off!" Iwao hissed. Konohamaru knew what was coming next. A mass of needles came pouring down like rain.

_Swish!_ Three clones stood with needles sticking through them. In a second they popped away, leaving only Konohamaru hiding on the ground.

Naruto watched from his seat, continuously hitting himself on the head. "Konohamaru! Use your brains! Come on! This guy's nothing! Take him out with one good attack!" Konohamaru stared at Naruto. He already had a cut on his chin and was worn out.

Tsunade looked around, and then muttered something to the jonnin to her side. He nodded and walked away. Gaara faced her and whispered, "I have a bad feeling." Tsunade nodded.

Iwao glared at Konohamaru, hissing, "You pathetic coward! All you've done this entire match is hide behind some clones. And considering that this one of the last matches! You sure know how to impress the audience!"

Suddenly, an explosion occurred at the top of the stadium. Both Tsunade and Gaara stood up at once and looked at the other side. Smoke was hiding who or whatever was there.

Kakashi and Guy watched from a corner of the stadium. Both Lee and Shikamaru jumped to their sides. "What's going on?" Shikamaru shouted. "This isn't a part of the exams!"

"I hoped this wouldn't happen again. You remember a similar event, don't you?"

Guy shook with fear. "No. Not him! Why would he be here?"

The smoke was starting to clear. Konohamaru concentrated, trying to make out the figures hidden away… a fatal mistake. He let down his guard, and Iwao punched him hard in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.

The smoke finally cleared. Standing on the platform was a shocking sight! Iwao climbed up the wall, tearing off his disguise at the same time. There stood Kabuto, half of his face been transformed into Orochimaru. "It worked," said Orochimaru. Kabuto's side grinned.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru. This time, we shall have success. Now let's go!"

Six sound shinobi opened summoning scrolls and began firing loads of weapons at the crowd. Tenten leapt into the way and opened her own scroll, countering each weapon sent at the crowd, while Neji deflected them all with his Heavenly Palms Spin.

"People! This is an emergency! Please evacuate the stadium!" Tenten shouted, and the villagers responded immediately. Kabuto dived across to the other side. Gaara immediately fired a stream of sand, yet the two were able to dodge it and get to Tsunade.

Tsunade threw her fist forward, but Kabuto extended his body, coiling it around her arm and eventually reaching her head. Before Orochimaru could sink his half's fangs into her, sand came into the way and separated the two. Kabuto appeared by Gaara and "Seems like our old Jinchuuriki has no ultimate defense anymore. Without Shukaku, you're nothing but a pathetic waste of time!"

Tsunade grabbed Kabuto by the neck, but her fist went through his head when she tried punching. Neji and Tenten looked up and gasped – Orochimaru was coming for Tsunade from behind! "Tenten!" Neji shouted. She began making handsigns and opened her largest scroll.

"Ultimate Weapon Strike! Wrath of the Twin Dragons!" she roared as tons of weapons began soaring up. Kabuto turned to see what was coming and made a handsign.

Tsunade spun around and saw Orochimaru standing limp. Tenten's attack had hit its mark! She put her scroll down and sighed with relief. Suddenly, Tenten became pale. She looked down and saw a bright sword sticking out of her stomach, blood dripping down onto the ground. "Wh… what?" she cried.

Kabuto was standing behind her, grinning like before. "You foolish chuunin, thinking you can take on the most powerful ninja?"

Neji gasped and dashed across the field only to be immediately knocked backwards by Kabuto and Orochimaru's combined attack.

Neji lifted his arm, only to collapse with exhaustion. Kabuto was preparing to kill Tenten only to have a smog appear in front of him. "Don't you dare mess with the Leaf Village!" a voice roared. Kabuto turned around and gasped.

Choji towered him in his Multi-Size form. "Now time to get rid of you! Mega Palm Crush!" he roared again, bringing both his hands down on the sannin. Kabu-maru was able to jump back right before being crushed.

Ino jumped to Neji's side, healing his arms immediately. "Leave him to us. The village as a whole needs help." Neji nodded and dashed away.

Ino lifted her hands and performed the Mind Distortion Jutsu! Kabu-maru took the hit and began to wobble around, his brain unable to control itself. "Choji, now!"

Choji brought his foot down upon Kabu-maru, yelling, "Giant Foot Crater!"

Ino grinned, but Tenten, nearly unconscious, cried, "No. It's not over!"

Kakashi stood watching with the other three. Guy was stunned. "Kakashi, what are you doing? You think we should just be standing around here all day? Let's go, Lee!"

Kakashi lifted his arm and a winged messenger to it. He deattached the note hanging on its leg and set it free. "This is what I have been waiting for."

Guy, Lee, and Shikamaru leaned over to read the message. Kakashi, feeling uneasy, stepped away and put his head to the wall. He was moaning.

Shikamaru looked down at the field and gasped. "Look there!"

Ino jumped to Tenten's side and began healing the wound. Choji, thinking it was over, lifted his leg, only to have it brought back down by a slimy object. A tongue began coiling around the leg, large spikes starting to grow out of it. Choji cried out in pain as his blood oozed out. Orochimaru then appeared in front of him and knocked him down with a flick of his finger.

"Choji!" both Ino and Shikamaru shouted at the same time. He shrunk back down to his regular size and landed hard on the ground.

"Never underestimate a sannin, you fool!"

Choji put his hands together and expanded into his round shaped Partial Multi-Size Form. "If I can't stomp you, then I'll just crush you!"

Ino noticed the kunai hanging around Choji. "Yeah, this'll definetly work!" she cried. Choji fired himself into Human Bullet Tank and was advancing towards Orochimaru.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Orochimaru shouted, but Choji proved too much for the gusts. Orochimaru grinned, knowing that death was coming his way…

Both Ino and Shikamaru gasped. Orochimaru had transformed into a massive snake, and his fangs were deep in Choji already. "It seems like killing these chuunin is entertainment for you, Orochimaru," Kabuto chuckled.

Orochimaru returned to his original form and knocked Choji aside. "Enough with this. Let me call out a special squad – the new Sound Four!"

The ground around Orochimaru began to rumble and crack. Four figures began to emerge.

Kakashi crumbled the letter in his hands and faced Guy. "We must take immediate action."

Guy had a terrible look on his face. "We've already got Orochimaru to worry about! And remember, he resurrected the first two Hokages in his fight with the Third…"

"Orochimaru isn't our concern. Remember, we have Tsunade here," Kakashi replied.

Right then, Neji appeared by their side. "I saw the look on your face. What is it?"

"The Akatsuki has made its move," Kakashi said in a dull tone.


	3. Chapter 2: Team Kakashi Heads Out

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 2

Team Kakashi Heads Out

Far from the invasion, a four-man team was making its way through the lands in order to reach their own destination. The two males at the front looked at each other, nodded, and then landed on a tall rock. The third, a female, stopped behind them. "He told us to meet him here."

Itachi and Kisame turned around. "We have little time left. Konoha may be able to take care of the invasion," said Itachi.

"It doesn't matter how long we take. After all, Orochimaru should be able to take out a great portion of the leaf shinobi. Once his forces pull out, it'll be our perfect chance to capture him."

Suddenly, the ground cracked open and a figure emerged. "You're late, Zetsu."

Rising, he chuckled. "It doesn't matter, Konan. We have plenty of time."

"I was right," Kisame grinned. Konan shook her head.

"You remember Pain's orders, don't you? We're not only after Naruto! We're going for Orochimaru as well!" said Itachi.

"Right now, nothing matters other than getting there."

And so, they proceeded towards the Leaf Village.

Kakashi stepped to the side to dodge a kunai, saying, "It's me, Guy, Lee, Shikamaru, and Neji. Will this work?"

Shikamaru had a puzzled look on his face. "With this group… we may be unable to stop them. We can't expect victory against four of the most powerful shinobi… not with a group this small."

"And we can't expect to take more than a team of five or six chuunin and jonin out of the village during this type of crisis!" Guy shouted.

"But… shouldn't we bring along someone like… Naruto?" Neji responded.

"There's no time for that!" Kakashi yelled, grabbing a ninja hiding behind a pillar and knocking him out. "We need to head out now. Besides, Naruto is their target! Why bring out what they want? A simple error and they end up with the demon fox!"

"I agree," a mysterious voice said. Suddenly, Kiba sprung past and nailed three ninja at once with a full-fledged Double Piercing Fang. Bugs began to appear everywhere, followed by Shino. "It seems like an extra man is needed. Kiba, Akamaru, take care of these intruders!

"I'll join your team, Kakashi," Shino said, turning to Kakashi.

Guy grinned. "That's the spirit. Kakashi, do you approve?"

Kakashi looked puzzled. "Well… I suppose. Let's get going now!"

And so, the six moved out.

"So there's six of us, and four of them. That means we'll have to split up into four groups once the fighting starts," said Shikamaru as he analyzed the situation.

Lee seemed puzzled. "Four groups? That would mean that two of those groups would be composed of a single man each! I don't think we would stand a chance against them if it came down to one on one battles!"

"I realized that," Shikamaru continued. "We're gonna have to take a risk here, gamble, work with the odds, and see what happens. I'm hoping that the team will not include their leader… we know how it turned out with Jiraiya."

Each of them remembered the moment the news came to them. Tsunade and Naruto were nearly in shock… "Well, Shikamaru, you have to know that Akatsuki's major task – to capture Naruto – was given to the leader. There actually is a high chance of him being there in that group," Kakashi responded. "And if he's there, we aren't to fight him directly. But he isn't our only concern. Remember that there's still Itachi and Kisame.

"I'm sure we could all handle the two of them. Neji, Lee, you've seen Kisame's water abilities, so you know what to expect. Guy and I are the only two in this group who can most likely handle Itachi. But don't expect victory so easily… in fact, we shouldn't be expecting it at all," Kakashi concluded.

The six passed through a forest. Shino took the lead. "Do you remember their hunter-nin?" he asked.

Kakashi turned pale. "Yes, I do. We have to watch out for him…"

"That isn't a very simple task," said Shino. "When Hinata, Kiba, and I battled him back then, he showed his ability to combine with nature and move. He threw us off, and before the battle could go very far, we were defeated. The problem is he got a good glimpse of our techniques, while we are still stumped by his abilities."

Neji stopped at the edge of the forest and activated his Byakugan. "What do you see, Neji?" asked Lee.

Neji's eyes showed his fear. "Kakashi! Three hundred meters away… I've spotted one… no… three! Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and a female…"

Shino and Kakashi gasped. "That means _he_ is the fourth!" Shino cried.

"Alright, we'll make our stance right here," said Kakashi. "Get to work quick. Set up a wall of traps."

Lee was confused. "But Kakashi Sensei! They wouldn't fall for them!"

"Our goal is to hold them back as long as possible, and _if_ possible, finish them off, though I doubt the latter is even possible," Neji said, still in fear. "This is it. It's life or death here!"

And so, as Itachi came into the heart of the Land of Fire and continued towards Konoha, he was nearly hit by a stream of fire. He could see Kakashi standing on a tree. "Kisame, Konan! Looks like a ruckus ahead."

Kisame grinned. "Well, well, Kakashi. It seems like he's asking to die."

"Wait, Kisame. We have no time for fooling around. Konan, Kisame, Zetsu, go on ahead. If its Kakashi, then he's obviously prepared for this fight.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi shouted.

"Water Style! Great Tide Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted back, neutralizing the attack.

Konan and Kisame headed a different direction only to be caught in smoke explosions. "Looks like a poor trap. Let me handle this!" Kisame chuckled. "Wind-Water Release! Blow of Samehada!"

The smoke was immediately blown away, leaving the other five of Kakashi's team visible. "Neji, Lee, take care of the female! Leave Kisame to me!"

Kisame grinned and once again used the same technique, sending all three back. "Kisame! Quit wasting your time! I'll take care of them, just get moving!"

Kisame and Konan disappeared, though Lee was able to follow. Shikamaru sent out a shadow, hoping to catch them, but was interfered by Itachi's giant fireball.

"Lee!" Guy shouted. "Watch out!"

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!" Neji roared, dispelling chakra from his hands in order to negate the fireball. Lee got up only to be caught in another dimension.

"Kakashi, don't think that avoiding eye contact is going to help. I've improved my genjutsu," said Itachi.

"Neji, insert your chakra into…" Guy started, but he and Neji were nearly knocked down by a gust of wind. "What insane abilities. Kakashi, are you sure you can handle him?"

Neji got to Lee's side and broke him free of the genjutsu. "Kakashi has battled Itachi twice. We're going to have to trust him here."

Kakashi and Itachi both faced. The five others got together and departed, chasing after the three remaining from Akatsuki.

Back at the village, Kabu-maru stood on the roof facing Tsunade. The Sound Four had positioned themselves at each corner and began to focus their chakra. "Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment!" the each chanted, forming the great fiery barrier. An ANBU squad, along with Shizune and Naruto, jumped to the roof and faced the Sound Four. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" each of the Sound Four roared.

"Poison Mist!" Shizune blew a poison fog, covering the whole roof. "Naruto, go now!"

Naruto charged in holding his breath but was knocked back out. Jiguro, the largest of the four, took a deep breath and then exhaled a great amount of wind, blowing the fog away. The other three, Shukon, Tasayu, and Kosamaru, all stepped forward.

Kabu-maru grinned. "Indeed, they may seem like the original Sound Four, but they've gone through testing and training. Your pathetic poison has no affect on them. And I've trained their bodies to resist attacks like our nine-tailed brat uses. Regular taijutsu can't hurt them. It takes much more. Now my minions, attack!"

And so, the ANBU, Naruto, and Shizune prepared themselves as the Sound Four's strong clones charged. Kabu-maru began building up chakra for a big attack. And Kakashi activated his Sharingan, knowing that this battle would be his last.

"Brace yourself Itachi, you're about to see a new Hatake!"


	4. Chapter 3: Old Love, Old Geniuses

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 3

Old Love, Old Geniuses

Kabu-maru and Tsunade both stared at each other. Kabu-maru's face gleamed a bloody red color as Orochimaru's remains spread even further across, taking over more of the new host. Tsunade watched in disgust. "You monster!"

Naruto charged again, this time putting his hands together. "Don't think you're the only one who knows how to use clones! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The Sound Four grinned as the many Narutos charged. Tsunade raced towards Orochimaru, hoping she could destroy him before it was too late.

Naruto grabbed one clone and hurled him at Jiguro, though the latter was left uninjured. One of the ANBU gasped, shouting, "Impossible! Even if it's a tougher clone, it shouldn't be able to survive a blow like that!"

Jiguro put his hands together, and the entire roof began to crack and break open. "What is this?!?" the leader of the ANBU squad, Zen, shouted.

Shizune produced three kunai. "It's obvious. These new forms of the Sound Four… they're much different. Like Orochimaru said, they have tough bodies. And those Shadow Clones… they're not the same either. The original Sound Four had only single abilities – as we can see, they have multiple. For example, this one used to be only a earth-type user. He now has the ability to control and manipulate wind!"

"Tasayu, why not play the Melody of Death?" Shukon asked. Tasayu produced a flute in the shape of a dragon and immediately began playing.

Zen gasped. "It's genjutsu! Block out the sound or you'll suffer!"

Suddenly, smoke began to rise from the flute and took the shape of a dragon. "Fire Style! Smoke Element Release!"

The dragon began to spit flames. Zen quickly made a handsign, shouting, "Earth-Water Mudslide Release!"

The entire roof was covered by muddy water. Suddenly, the floor underneath the ANBU completely broke open. The Sound Four roared with laughter.

Naruto's clones formed a ladder and quickly caught hold of Zen and Shizune before they could die. "Konoha's ninja don't seem to be any match against the Sound Four. We set up that trap for you fools!" Tasayu hissed.

Shizune and Zen gasped. "You see, my ability only weakens the ground underneath you. Tasayu's dragon left you with no choice but to counter it, unless, of course, you wanted to be roasted. The floor underneath you was being controlled by my own chakra, and if anyone standing upon it tried to use their chakra, it would break open!" Jiguro explained.

Shukon and Kasamaru charged at the same time. Shizune and Zen gasped, and Naruto's chakra transformed into a fiery red color.

Kakashi grabbed his arm to compress the chakra. Itachi made a handsign and roared, "One-Hundred Flames of the Devil!" Kakashi was immediately surrounded by will-o-wisps, and they began circling around him.

Kakashi formed a Rasengan only to have the chakra disappear. "What?"

"There's no use. As long as those flames are around you, you'll be unable to control your chakra," said Itachi.

Kakashi grinned. "Well, you're in a bad shape if you think I'm going to listen to you! Release!" he shouted, hoping to break out of the 'genjutsu'.

"It's useless, Kakashi. Those flames, combined with my genjutsu and Sharingan, will be all I need to finish you off. And your Sharingan isn't going to help at all."

Kakashi gasped as Itachi charged towards him with two kunai in his hands. "That means all I can do is… run?"

"It's impossible, Kakashi. Going up against someone like me… it's time to die! Elemental Release! Five Star Vortex!"

Kakashi's mask was torn off as he was caught in the vortex of an "element hurricane". He was hit by a separate elemental attack from each side at random moments – his legs were jabbed by several stones, a stream of fire and water went through his body, and he was struck by lightning bolts, all while wind lifted him off the ground.

"It's over! Element Release – Death Star Jutsu!"

It ended with an explosion. Itachi nodded and began walking away, only to grab a hand that nearly went through his back. "Interesting, Kakashi. I'm surprised I wasn't able to notice your clone."

Kakashi stood behind him, the Lightning Blade in his hand. "What a jutsu, Itachi. All of that work. You sure are in a hurry. But too bad you won't be able to do something like that again, especially if you're using that Shapeshifting Tech…"

_Snap! Crrrrrack!_ Itachi had broken Kakashi's arm.

Tsunade and Kabu-maru once again stood across from each other. "This has gone too long Orochimaru. It's been almost half a century… the two of us! Today's the day it ends… everything that happened between us!"

Kabu-maru roared with laughter. "I remember those days, Tsunade. We ridiculed Jiraiya's soft spots and ran off together. The two of us. You respected me, and I respected you. But not anymore. We are bitter rivals…"

"Shutup!" she screamed as she leapt into the air. "And don't you run away!"

_Flunk!_ Blood was spilling out of Tsunade's leg. Kabu-maru had Kusanagi out of his mouth, and it had been dug into Tsunade's body. "It's funny, Tsunade. The two of us have never fought in a battle at our full strengths! And to think that I'm even stronger now that Kabuto has taken me. Let us see who will win, and how long you'll last without a summoning!"


	5. Chapter 4: The Aqua Journey

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 4

The Aquatic Journey

"You've messed with us long enough, Kakashi. It's time to end this. Sharingan!"

Kakashi gasped. Itachi was holding him by the arm! His head slowly began to turn.

Kakashi formed a Lightning Blade in his free arm and threw his hand at Itachi. "What?" Itachi cried, falling back, though Kakashi was pulled with him. "Kakashi, you're full of surprises."

"Hehe, I never knew you were full of emotions, Itachi."

Lee and Guy were at the head of the squad. "We're unfortunate to lose Kakashi at the beginning."

Neji activated his Byakugan again. "We're catching up. What's the plan for the next one?"

"I've seen Kisame's abilities. He has an immense amount of chakra, and there is still his great offensive technique. To top that, that sword of his can get quite annoying," said Guy.

Lee looked at his sensei. "Guy-sensei. Do not tell me you are going to…"

"Indeed, Lee. It can't be helped, but I'm the only one who stands a chance against him. There'll be four of you and two of them if I challenge him, and that way you'll be able to go two-on…"

Right at that moment, a blast of water came bursting from the trees ahead. Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru dived to the sides; however, Lee and Guy were caught in the worst of it.

"Oh no!" Neji cried. "Shikamaru, Shino, there are four water clones ahead. I can't find our real enemy."

Shikamaru stared at the stream of water that had slammed both Lee and Guy into a tree. "Shino and I'll disable the enemy's jutsu! That'll be your chance to attack!"

Before they knew it, the three were trapped in water spheres. Three of Kisame's water clones emerged from the ground. "Fools, can't even recognize the puddles under your feet!"

Lee felt greater surges going through his body. He couldn't handle it anymore… but it was impossible to counter the attack. "No… I can not… I will not die here!"

"Wind Style: X-Gale Motion!" Guy suddenly yelled. Neji, Shikamaru, and Shino gasped, and Kisame stared in awe.

The stream of water was immediately sent back by a great wind that cut through the forest. It wasn't long before Kisame's true location was revealed. Guy stood with Lee on his back upon the only tree that was still up.

"Guy-sensei, ninjutsu?" Lee cried. Guy grinned, putting Lee down.

"It was an exhausting attack… but I managed to pull it off. Now go! There's still two more!"

Kisame swung his sword, sending a blast of water again at the team. "None of you will get past me!"

Suddenly, Kisame saw Lee coming in with a Lion Combo from above. He quickly raised Samehada to block the attack, though the end of the sword was pushed down into his shoulder. "It really doesn't matter how many of you get past… all I want is a good old chance to make up for our last battle, Konoha's Might Guy!"

"Lee, quit messing around! Get out of here!" Guy shouted again. Lee shook his head as he jumped to Guy's side.

"No, Guy-sensei. I will not leave your side. I too shall take on this opponent!" he responded. "Neji, Shino, Shikamaru, please continue!"

Kisame got a grip on himself. "Oh do stay, the more remaining means the more for me to finish off. The rest of you stand no chance against Zetsu."

And so, Guy and Lee took their battle stance, preparing for what seemed to be their last battle.

//-\\

\\-//

Kakashi and Itachi both activated a stronger version of their Sharingans at the same time, and they charged at each other, Kakashi with a Lightning Blade and Itachi with a Magma Blade. It was all followed by a great explosion that sent both back across to opposite sides of the field.

Meanwhile, back at Konoha, Kasamaru spit three webs at Naruto, though his chakra barrier made the attack useless. Shukon split into four more smaller bodies, and each jumped upon Naruto, and still he tore them to pieces in seconds.

Shizune's face was filled with horror as Tasayu began to play another melody. "Great Poison Fog!" she cried, sending out an even greater poison mist.

Kasamaru and Shukon found each other and faced their opposite directions, standing back to back. "The brat will come from any direction," Kasamaru commented.

"Why don't you pull a few strings and find where he is?" Shukon hissed, and Kasamaru nodded.

"Summoning Jutsu!" he shouted, bringing out a large spider. "Unlike Kyodaigumo, Kiyutaro hunts out the foe, and once you're found, you're dead!"

Suddenly, a red figure appeared in the distance. Kiyutaro charged towards the wild Naruto only to find that it was nothing but a clone. Suddenly, poison needles began flying all around Shukon and Kasamaru. "What are these idiots trying to do?"

Shukon gasped. "Look, the needles are… being controlled!"

The fog finally cleared, leaving Tasayu and Jiguro to find a dead spider and chakra threads holding the needles. Zen flicked his arms, causing the needles to swirl around Shukon and Kasamaru at much faster speeds. "Naruto, now!" Shizune cried.

By releasing chakra, Naruto pushed himself high into the air and into the tornado of needles. He held a Rasengan in his hand as he came down. Kasamaru roared with laughter. "Fools, he's trying to make us walk into the needles. What he doesn't know is that the poison, or even the wounds, wouldn't effect us!"

The two dived through the needles, getting hit as they went. Suddenly, Shukon was stopped. The chakra thread had gotten into him through the needle, and now Zen had control! "Naruto, finish it!"

Naruto grabbed the thread and ran the Rasengan along it, sending a burst of chakra through the string and into Shukon and Kasamaru. Both were instantly paralyzed and fell over, the clones finally disappearing.

Tasayu and Jiguro gasped. "Impossible…" Jiguro cried. Tasayu lifted her flute and blew through the end, covering the entire battlefield in smoke again. Jiguro made a hand sign, this time creating gusts that pushed the smoke away from them and mainly onto Naruto, Shizune, and Zen.

"Quick!" Jiguro shouted, and Tasayu played a sequence. The smoke immediately turned to flames, and everything within them was burned to ashes.

Suddenly, the ground exploded and Naruto emerged with a fully charged Rasengan. Shizune and Zen quickly threw chakra threads around their foes as Naruto hurled the Rasengan in his hand at the two.

_Boom!_ There was a second explosion, resulting in the destruction of the Sound Four's clones.

Orochimaru grinned. "Interesting, very interesting. It seems like crushing the Leaf Village won't be as simple as I thought."

Tsunade charged again, but this time, Orochimaru caught her by the neck with his tongue and began to squeeze hard. "It's over, Tsunade. You stand no chance against me… especially while I'm in Kabuto's body!"

Tsunade was dragged closer and closer to Orochimaru. "Once I devour you, it'll all be done!"

Tsunade gasped. He wasn't planning to… take over her body? She closed her eyes as things came to an end…

One more explosion occurred. Orochimaru gasped, losing his grip on Tsunade. The fiery barrier was slowly coming down. Naruto dived through with an ever more focused form of Rasengan in his hand, Shizune and Zen right behind him.

"Orochimaru! It's over!" Naruto roared.


	6. Chapter 5: Heroes and Passion

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 5

Heroes and Passion

Hinata jumped from building to building, knocking several of the Sound ninja who were terrorizing the village. Kiba and Akamaru, both whom had a few injuries soon joined her. "K… Kiba! Akamaru!"

"Hinata, what are you doing?"

"Wh… where's Naruto-kun and Shino-san?" she asked, feeling a little ashamed.

Before Kiba could answer, the ground in front of him cracked open and a figure emerged. "I have been summoned… by Lord… Lord Orochimaru… and Kabuto-sensei…"

Standing in front of Kiba and Hinata was a tall male with gray hair. "Who… who are you?" Kiba cried.

"Kimomaru… Kimomaru Kaguya!" the enemy responded. He instantly pulled a long bone out of his body. "So these are some of Konoha's ninja, eh?"

Both Kiba and Hinata's eyes were full of fear. "Kaguya?" Kiba stuttered. "The Kaguya Clan… they… they were all killed…"

Hinata was puzzled. "Ka… Kaguya Clan?"

"Their kekkei genkai isn't like your Byakugan or the Sharingan. It's an ability that allows them to convert calcium into bones… and use those bones…"

Before Kiba could finish, Kimomaru attacked. Akamaru came at him with a Double Piercing Fang, though his attempt was useless – Kimomaru had hit him hard with the bone. "My Lord tells me that I have little time. That means we won't be able to fight for long."

Kimomaru fired pieces of bone from his fingertips at Hinata, though she quickly deflected them with the Byakugan. "This guy…" Kiba said. "He went up against Naruto, Lee, and Gaara… all three… and still survived. He nearly killed them… then he died… that's what I heard from Lee…"

"Died?!?" Hinata cried. "But… how?!? He's alive!"

Kiba shook his head. "It the actions of Orochimaru. He must've been revived!"

Kimomaru instantly advanced his curse seal, drawing out several bones at once. "Dance of the Hidden Moss!" he shouted, causing the bones to spin rapidly. Kimomaru charged and attack in an awkward spiral motion. Kiba and Hinata quickly made replacements and got out of the way. "I'm not through!" Kimomaru shouted. "Dance of the Hidden Spear!" Kimomaru took a spiral shape similar to Kiba and Akamaru's attack. Suddenly, chipped pieces of bone began flying out. Kiba jumped back only to find that Kimomaru had appeared behind him. "It's over!"

Hinata jumped in the way and use her Gentle Fist to counter the taijutsu attack. Kimomaru suddenly produced another arm, this one being composed of three connected bones. The arm reached into his back and pulled out his spinal column. "Die!" Kimomaru roared.

Hinata and Kiba gasped…

//-\\

\\-//

Neji activated his Byakugan again. "The female is approximately four hundred feet ahead. There are no traps."

Shino nodded and remained silent. Shikamaru took the lead. "So we've lost three of our comrades, and they've lost two. Shoot, if only Lee could've stayed…"

"We have them outnumbered still," said Shino. "And I'm thinking that we'll have to go two against their hunter… if he shows up."

Shikamaru suddenly grinned. "I've got a plan. Neji, we're not too far from Konoha, are we?"

Neji nodded. "It won't be long before they arrive at the border of the village. We need to hurry if we want to…"

"Hurrying, that's what we're going to do. Quick, follow me!"

And so, Shikamaru changed the route, confusing both Neji and Shino. "This'll pull them off track!"

//-\\

\\-//

The Sound Four were pushed back by the immense energy released from the explosion of the barrier. They quickly reassembled and created another wall. Naruto instantly charged towards Orochimaru. "Rasengan!" he cried. Orochimaru twisted his body so that it would bypass the attack.

"Foolish brat… trying to fight me? Don't tell me you're going to try accessing the demon's chakra once more!"

Shizune began to heal Tsunade's leg, but she was kicked to the side when Tsunade got up and charged at Orochimaru again. "Naruto, stay out of this!" she roared. Orochimaru glared at Tsunade, suddenly paralyzing her. She fell down to the ground once more, struck with fear and shock. Shizune rushed to her side again.

"Lady Tsunade! What… what happened?!?"

Her eyes were wide open, and she was shaking as she had done several years before. "It can't be… the homophobia!" Shizune cried. Orochimaru roared with laughter, and the remains over Kabuto's face continued to spread.

"Stare at my eyes like that and you're bound to see doom and death!"

Shizune gasped. 'So it's genjutsu!' she thought. Shizune put her hand to Tsunade's head and focused. "Release!" There was no affect. Tsunade sat the way she had been, tears flowing down her cheeks, her eyes bloody red, and her whole body quivering with fear.

"Unfortunately, Naruto Uzumaki, I don't have time to be playing around with you. Tsunade's my one and only target. It's either she gets the curse or she gets killed!"

Naruto charged again, this time holding the Blade of Chakra (_Rasengan Blade_) in his hand. "Chaaaa!!!" Orochimaru suddenly disappeared. Naruto turned around to see him in the air above Shizune and Tsunade. Kusanagi was out in his hands, and he was about to finish Tsunade off!

_Flunk!!!_ Blood flew everywhere. Tsunade suddenly broke out of her trance and looked in front of her. Shizune stood with a fatal wound to the heart. "Lady… Lady… Lady… Tsunade…" she mumbled before falling over.

Time had slowed down. Tsunade's tears stopped. Naruto felt as though a weapon had gone through his own heart. Orochimaru groaned.

Shizune had given her life… to save Tsunade.


	7. Chapter 6: Dark Leech and the Fake Rose

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 6

Dark Leech and the Fake Rose

Konan finally stopped. She was hiding in the bushes. 'Pein would kill me if he saw me doing this… some angel I am,' she thought.

Two ninja were conversing in the middle of the forest. Both had their forehead protectors on with the leaf symbol. "Did you hear… Akatsuki is on its way!" the first cried.

The second had a terrible look on his face. "Of course I did. They're after Naruto-kun, right?" The first nodded.

"Naruto-kun is safe, at least for now. Hokage-sama immediately ordered that he was to be taken to the chasm. He and his squad, excluding Kakashi-san, are there… deep inside."

The second gasped right there. "Na… Naruto-kun? Taken to the chasm? Why is he not out fighting at this time! Orochimaru is terrorizing Konoha!"

Konan twitched, causing the bush to move. 'Shit!' she thought. The two shinobi turned to the bush.

"Who's there?" the first shouted. Suddenly, two paper spears came soaring out at them. Before they were hit, however, they broke down into hundreds of tiny bugs that flew away.

Konan was puzzled. "So they are bug-users. I never knew the Aburame Clan was like that. Nevertheless, the fools, they gave away the Jinchuuriki's location. This task will not be as hard as I expected it to be. The only problem is the Jinchuuriki himself. Zetsu, where are you?!?"

A few seconds later, Zetsu broke out of the ground. "I was watching the border of the village. What are you doing here?"

"The Jinchuuriki… he's at the chasm. That's what I heard from the two shinobi's conversation," said Konan.

Zetsu chuckled. "Konan, you fool. It could be a trap for all we know."

"We wouldn't want to show ourselves in the village, Zetsu."

"But what are the chances of the Jinchuuriki being there?"

"I'll check," she finally said, producing large wings on her back. Konan soared into the air and scanned the region. "I see the chasm. Follow me!" she cried.

Zetsu nodded, and the two headed around the village to the great abyss.

//-\\

\\-//

Naruto sat within the chasm, Yamato and Sai standing outside inspecting the area. "Yamato-sensei, do you think Kakashi's team would've stopped those four from Akatsuki?"

Konan was watching from above the clouds. 'I can't stay up here long… I will eventually melt from the sun's rays. If I am to check inside that chasm to see if Naruto's there or not, I will have to be invisible.' She put her hands together and slowly faded away, then dived down to the hole in the ground.

Naruto's eyes became tense, as if he were using the Byakugan. He could see chakra in the air coming down. Then, he made the signal. Just as Konan passed into the chasm, the explosive tags activated. Her invisibility jutsu wore off, and all of the transformations returned to their original forms. Naruto poofed into Neji, while Sai and Yamato transformed back into Shikamaru and Shino. Konan gasped as Neji's four clones grabbed her arms and legs, pulling her down. The real Neji came from above with a Gentle Fist attack ready, and threw the attack into Konan's stomach. Before the attack was a success, she exploded into hundreds of sheets of paper. "What?!?" Neji cried.

The four clones grabbed the original and tossed him to the walls while they drifted down to the bottom of the "bottomless" chasm.  
Neji focused his chakra onto his feet and began running up the wall. "The tags didn't explode. If I can get out, then I'll have a good advantage."

As he came to the top, a great number of tags shined and then exploded, causing a multiple-chain reaction. Shino and Shikamaru gasped as the rocks at the side of the top began to fall down and cover the top of the chasm. "Impossible!" Shikamaru cried. "They weren't supposed to be the bigger explosions… unless they were somehow altered?"

There remained a hole at the top. The two rushed to see how Neji was only to be pushed back by a great force. The top was covered by a wire, and Zetsu emerged from the ground. "Aha, Konoha's chuunin are surely interesting. I never expected the three of you to catch Konan. But then again, she's a fool."

Shino and Shikamaru both armed themselves with kunai. The two faces of Zetsu laughed. Kuro, the dark face, hissed, "To be at that level of thinking, I surely would like the devour you, devour you quickly!"

Hikaro, the lightface, lifted an arm and began waving it. Slowly, large and thick leeches began emerging from the ground. "Summoning: Rise of the Dark Leeches!" Hikaro roared. Shino and Shikamaru both shuddered.

"Shikamaru! Watch out from behind!"

If Shikamaru had not jumped then, the leech behind him would have gotten him. "Leeches… that's what this guy is."

Zetsu then merged with the ground again, popping up beside Shino. "Let's take out our Aburame friend first!" Kuro hissed.

"Well that's too bad, since I wanted to finish off the other fool instead," said Hikaro. Shino tried to move back, but Zetsu had him…

Until Zetsu was stopped. Shikamaru had caught him with Shadow Imitation Jutsu. Zetsu grinned. "I see, a shadow-user. Interesting."

Shino fired a ray of bugs at Zetsu only­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ to have the leeches fly in the way and devour the bugs. "You see, these leeches react to danger. If I am in harm's way, they simply come in the way, take the hit, reproduce, and then simply return to their own world."

Shikamaru turned around to see another leech coming at him. He quickly released his shadow and jumped away. "Shino, I know that you already know this, but if those leeches are to get to us…"

"It'll be completely over," Zetsu finished.

//-\\

\\-//

Neji opened his eyes. He had maintained his balance through instinct. It was almost pitch black in the chasm. There was a small hole at the top for sunlight to enter through…

A wave of paper weapons came at him. He quickly began dodging and using Eight Trigram Empty Palms, firing blasts of chakra at Konan. The two were running, firing, and dodging most of the time. Suddenly, Neji disappeared from Konan's view. She gasped when he appeared right in front of her, striking her in the stomach with a powerful Gentle Fist.

"Let this finish it! Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher!" he cried, slamming Konan down from the wall. She began to fall, and she was unable to create her wings this time… soon she was out of the regular eyesight range.

Neji, thinking the battle was won, quickly activated his Byakugan and checked down hundreds of feet to see Konan still falling. And that was when he saw what she was doing.

She had bitten her thumb and was making a handsign. "Donation of blood… that handsign… oh no!" Neji cried. "A summoning?!?"

Konan could still see Neji with the light. "It doesn't matter what you do, Hyuga! Your Byakugan cannot stop this next attack!"

There was a great explosion, and Konan had been saved. Neji focused his vision to see the newly arrived object…

It was a rose, a rose with the color of demonic blood.

//-\\

\\-//

Orochimaru kicked Tsunade aside this time and lifted the almost-dead Shizune. "Aha, the fool gave her life to save you. But all is not lost, Tsunade. With the death of one person brings the revival of another."

Tsunade's eyes turned even redder. "You… you wouldn't dare!"

Orochimaru roared with laughter and raised Shizune into the air. "Say goodbye once and for all."

"Lady… Lady Tsunade… thank you… for everything…" Shizune said before slowly fading away. Naruto charged again with the Rasengan, but he was stopped by a coffin.

"Poor little brat. I'll soothe those feelings of yours easily. There's someone who's dying to meet you again."

The coffin broke open, and a body emerged. Naruto and Tsunade gasped.

Minato Namikaze, Konoha's greatest known ninja, was standing in front of Naruto. "My boy, you have grown so much."


	8. Chapter 7: Pushed to the Limit

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 7

Pushed to the Limit

Kakashi was pushed backwards into the forest. He was being attacked and attacked by Itachi's great number of techniques.

Guy and Lee had been fighting Kisame for some time. They could never land a direct blow on him, for he'd simply deflect with Samehada.

The two finally landed in a field. "Guy-sensei, what should we do?"

Kisame dug his sword into the ground, yelling, "Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!" The entire field turned into a great pond. "Now here comes the best part! Water Release: Whirlpool Shockwave!"

The pond instantly began churning into a great whirlpool. Both Guy and Lee were being sucked down to the center. "It's not over yet!" Kisame shouted. "Water Release: Water Geyser!" Three geysers shot out the water, and with Samehada, Kisame could control them at his leisure, sending them to drown Guy and Lee. "And here's the finishing touch! Summoning – Five Great Sharks!"

Guy saw what was coming. "Lee, you must… open… the gates!"

Lee nodded, and began moving with incredible speed. He removed his weights and began tying his wristbands around the sharks. Guy immediately did the same.

"What?!?" Kisame cried. "Don't tell me both are going to use that ability!"

Lee and Guy had successfully opened the first gate. "You know what comes next Lee!" Guy shouted. Lee grinned, and the two began flashing through the pond with even greater speeds.

"DYNAMIC DOUBLE LOTUS CRUSH!!!" the two roared. Guy kicked Kisame three times, causing him to spin in midair, and then kicked him high up. Lee appeared from above and finished with a perfect Front Lotus, sending Kisame down into the center of the whirlpool. He was able to control his fall with Samehada, but he still took considerable damage.

"Now it's our turn to shine!" Lee cried.

"We're not through, Kisame!" Guy shouted again. Guy and Lee clasped hands, throwing each other up into the air. The two grabbed hands again and began to spin at rapid speeds, opening the second gate at the same time.

Kisame looked up weakly, still laughing. "Take them out my beasts!" The sharks dived up into the air, hoping to get a bite out of Guy or Lee.

"DYNAMIC DOUBLE TORNADO SPIN!!!" they roared again. All five sharks were caught in the attack and ended up being kicked out bloodily.

Kisame saw death before his eyes. Guy and Lee both opened up to five gates and prepared for their next attack – Reverse Lotus!

//-\\

\\-//

Hinata and Kiba had one option left – run. They started down the alley only to be stopped by hundreds of large bones breaking out of the ground and surrounding them.

"Mai! Mai! Dance of the Seedling Fern!" Kimomaru roared. The entire village floor began to be covered with stalagmites, only these were incredibly large bones.

"Hinata, we need to get up!" Akamaru quickly transformed into Kiba and the two hurled Hinata into the air while they ran up the walls. Before she could fall, they quickly caught her.

Standing on the building were Anko Mitarashi, Ibiki Morino, and Genma Shiranui, each armed with some sort of weapon. Kiba turned to the gates of Konoha and saw lines of sound shinobi coming. "We've gotta get out of here!" he shouted.

However, something was holding them back. Hinata looked down and saw dark hands that had a tight grip on their legs. "Ki… Kiba! Wh… what is this?"

Shadow-like bodies began to emerge from the ground. The only colored objects on them were their forehead protectors, having the symbol of a black star. "No way!" Kiba cried.

Genma looked around. "They're obviously with Orochimaru. Who would've thought he got the Dark shinobi on his side."

Anko sighed, and then nodded to Ibiki. "Well we can't let them just come into Konoha and take it over."

"Anko-sensei… you're telling us that we're going to fight?!?" Kiba bellowed.

Three purple figures emerged from the ground. "Ehehe, Konoha's shinobi are pathetic. How 'bout we take 'em out right 'ere, eh bro?"

The three figures slowly morphed back into their original forms. Ibiki gasped. "You… you three! The Dark Trio… from Konoha?!?"

The eldest, Sorage, produced a shuriken. "Ibiki-sensei, I must apologize. But we weren't treated in the best way that we should've been."

The youngest, Megi, giggled. "This team of idiots can't stop us. What are we waiting for, Kagerin?"

Kagerin pushed Megi aside and stood tall. "Orochimaru's orders – to obliterate Konoha. And that's what we'll do right now!"

The "stalagmites" continued spreading, and Kimomaru jumped out of one. He was in his cursed seal state. "I will do the killing! Stand aside!"

Kiba and Hinata gasped…

//-\\

\\-//

Minato Namikaze got into action immediately. He fired a blast of wind at Naruto and then produced a Rasengan in his hand. Naruto countered with his Rasengan Blade, causing a great explosion.

Orochimaru stood at the sides, watching as Naruto was being knocked back by his own father. "This is one fight I will truly enjoy. And even if the brat uses the demon's chakra, he'll be stopped by any sort of seal."

Minato threw a seal upon Naruto and then made a handsign. "Goodbye, son!"

There was a great explosion. Naruto had been teleported to a different dimension… or at least that was what Minato thought.

The real Naruto came from behind with another Rasengan blade. Minato took the hit, but no damage was done. "Foolish brat. These revived forms… they take no wounds in battle!"

Naruto kicked Minato, but his father grabbed his leg and hurled him at the fiery barrier. In response, Naruto formed six clones that would push him away and burn away in the barrier.

Tsunade was in tears again. "Orochimaru… how could you… do this… Shizune… Minato… Naruto… Jiraiya… Orochimaru!"

//-\\

\\-//

Konan began to sink into the paper rose. "I feel power. Let us finish this Hyuga child off. Vacuum Wave of Destruction!" she screamed.

The rose opened up and began absorbing material like a vacuum. Chunks of rock began flying down. Neji fought against the intense wind, trying to get away.

Zetsu put his hands on the ground and hissed, "Summoning: One Thousand Leeches of Death!"

Shino and Shikamaru didn't wait to see what was coming. They instantly began running. "Thousand leeches… bugs and shadows don't work against leeches!" Shikamaru cried.

They didn't get far before they were surrounded. Zetsu emerged from the ground in front of them. "Konoha is such a pathetic group. I actually pity you," said Hikaro.

"Why pity? Just kill them!" Kuro hissed.

Back in the chasm, the vacuum attack stopped. Neji regained his balance and scanned the area. Then, he saw what was coming next. "Wind Release: Extreme Wave of Obliteration!"

Everything that was absorbed came flying out with wind. Neji activated his Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms and began cracking any object that came near him. There were, however, too many, as a few stones went into his skin. He was bleeding… bleeding terribly.

"I'm not through!" Konan cried.

Lee and Guy were up to six gates each, and they were charging. Kisame groaned. "This means I'll have to use _that_!" Kisame drew a line across his sword with blood and began making a great handsign.

Kakashi was pushed back into a tree. Itachi quickly trapped him with threads and came with a fully charged Magma Blade. Kakashi was low on chakra, and he couldn't activate his Sharingan… it was over!

Choza, Inoishi, and Shikaku were being pushed back to the Hokage Mountain, along with Genma, Ibiki, Anko, Hinata, and Kiba. The Dark and Sound shinobi had them cornered. "Let's finish this!" Sorage roared.

Kimomaru charged first, only to be pushed back by a wave of wind and kunai. The Dark Trio looked up at the top of the Hokage Mountain, though the sun was hiding whoever was standing there. "Who are you?!?" they shouted.

The sun's rays began to weaken. A voice responded, "Konoha's allies!"

And then…

"THE SAND ARMY!!!!!!!!" the remainder of the shinobi shouted.


	9. Chapter 8: Leaf's Allies, the SAND ARMY

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 8

Leaf's Allies, SAND ARMY

Neji opened his eyes and saw the rose soaring up. It was over. He could not save himself with just taijutsu and chakra…

Then, the miracle occurred. The top of the chasm broke open completely, and the boulders began tumbling down. Konan and the paper rose were hit, each boulder tearing off a section. "What?!?" Konan screamed.

A figure came down to Neji's side. It was a female – Sakura Haruno.

"Sakura-chan?" Neji cried. "When… Shino and Shikamaru?"

//-\\

\\-//

Itachi was so close when somebody appeared in the way. A lightning barrier had saved Kakashi. "Chidori Current…" Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke, you are so unpredictable."

"Shutup," Sasuke hissed. "I only came so I can kill Itachi!"

Kakashi grinned. "Oh really. Then why would you come in the way? Why wouldn't you attack him from behind?"

Sasuke drew his sword. "Maybe it's cause I respect you for teaching me some things… like the Chidori. But now, it's time for Itachi to die!"

Kakashi finally stood up, though he was feeling pretty weak. "Two on one seems like good odds to me."

Sasuke glared and Kakashi and Itachi. "Two on one? I'll kill you if you dare interfere with my battle!"

//-\\

\\-//

Temari and Kankuro jumped in front of Ibiki. "We'll take it from here."

Kiba was astounded. "How did you know? The invasion only began six hours back! And even if you did, it would take at least two days to get here!"

Matsuri appeared by Temari. "Gaara-sensei found one of Akatsuki's agents in the village. All the information was spilled from him, including Akatsuki and Orochimaru's attack plans on Konoha."

Kiba grinned. "I see. But don't underestimate these guys…"

Kankuro instantly summoned the ten puppets of Monzaime. "Each one of us have been training hard. We're not going to lose right here!"

Temari made a donation of blood and sent out Kamatari. "Let's get this over with quickly!" Kamatari soared through Konoha, knocking the Sound shinobi off the buildings and onto Kimomaru's field of bones. Kimomaru himself attack Kankuro, but the ten puppets made hand signs and trapped him within a sphere of chakra. "Now this should do! Ten Puppet Chakra Release!"

The sphere began to enclose on Kimomaru. Though he was "immortal" from wounds, he was starting to turn pale. "This should finish it!"

Hinata appeared and slammed Kimomaru with a Gentle Fist, killing the opponent. "Orochimaru forgot about chakra. Insert chakra into these guys and they're just about finished!"

Naruto understood. Chakra, that was it. That was the key factor that would stop Orochimaru's resurrected summons. 'But still, how shall I stop you, father?' he thought. Slowly, he began to create a plan.

Minato came at him again, this time with an orb of wind in his hands. Naruto took the hit, and surprisingly, he saw blood dripping onto the ground. That was when he figured it out.

Minato began moving around him at incredible speeds. Even Lee wouldn't be able to match him. "You see, my son, this is why I am called the Flash!"

Minato laid several blows, including a kick. Blood splattered across Naruto's face, and some got into his eye. He was blinded. That was all he needed to prepare for his next attack.

Before Minato could strike again, Naruto went into the corridors of his mind. The demon fox was urging him to remove the seal. "Don't you wish for power? My chakra?"

Naruto opened his eyes and grinned. "I don't need your chakra to defeat Orochimaru!" He instantly formed a group of shadow clones. Each wiped the blood out of their eyes and put their hands together. An immense Rasengan was formed, and the five clones carried it across the roof to Minato and Orochimaru's location. They began mixing their blood with it, changing it into a deep red colored sphere of chakra.

"Chi-ka Oodama Rasengan!!!" (_Great Blood-Red Rasengan_) the clones bellowed, sending the attack into the ground in front of them. Not even Minato could dodge the explosion. Orochimaru realized what Naruto had done… by cornering him against the barrier, he left him no choice but to die of the fire or the explosion…

The smoke cleared and Minato rose with blood all over him. His vision had been blurred, and he couldn't see the Narutos approaching him with the Rasengan. He was instantly grabbed, and the Rasengan went into his body. "Now insert all the chakra I can!" Naruto cried. He focused all of his chakra into his hand and sent it into Minato… the resurrected Hokage turned pale.

Orochimaru began to fall backwards. The Sound Four quickly released the barrier, saving Orochimaru before he was killed. Kosamaru grabbed his body with a thread, but he was slammed into the ground by Tsunade, causing Orochimaru to fall down to the center of Konoha stadium.

//-\\

\\-//

Konan opened her eyes. She was alive. "Bitch," she muttered. "I'll kill you for that."

The rose she had fused with had been crushed and crumbled by the boulders that Sakura sent down. Konan made a handsign and released the summon. "You've pushed me close to my limit. Some ability you have."

Sakura grinned. "You don't seem to be in such a good condition. I guess that means I can finish this quickly and get back to Konoha."

Konan began glowing a deep red color. Neji scanned her and gasped. "Her chakra… it's different now!"

"You think I've survived all these years with only origami? Huh?!?"

Neji fired a wave of chakra, but two dark wings quickly emerged from her back and blocked it. "Pein would kill me if he saw me like this. Bitch, how dare you! It's time I take you all out for good!"

Konan was slowly transforming into a creature. "Sakura-chan, finish her quick. I have a bad feeling about this!" Konan pulled her wings down. Her face had changed into an extremely pale one.

"She can't be a… vampire?!?" Sakura cried.

Konan bit her lips and sucked on the oozing blood. "I smell it. I want it. I'll kill you. I will kill you!" Neji thrust several waves of chakra forth, but Konan simply absorbed them all. "I am… I am an angel! Pein-sama feels as though I am an angel!"

Konan was feeling weak. She remembered the one time she was forced into this state. 'I have… so little… time…' she thought. 'Pein-sama, I… I will… get the Jinchuuriki… for you… Uzumaki… the legacy of the fourth… I will… I will…'

Konan charged up the wall, spitting a bloody acid at the same time. Both Neji and Sakura dived to the sides and came down. Sakura slammed the walls of the chasm, causing the area below her to slowly cave in. "Neji-san, get up. I'll finish this quick!" Konan flew at rapid speeds, dodging whatever she could and spitting the acid to burn up the remainder of the debris coming down.

Sakura grinned and slammed the wall beside her. Like before, Konan dodged it… only to be hit by the line of kunai sent after. Blood came out from her body and she began falling again…

Suddenly, she appeared behind Sakura. "Your power is useless when I'm behind you!" Sakura turned and screamed.

//-\\

\\-//

Kisame was on the run. He stood no chance against both Lee and Guy who had opened seven gates each. Lee suddenly appeared beside him and kicked him back into Guy, who sent him soaring into the air. "Shit, at this rate, I won't even be able to activate my jutsu."

Lee appeared above him again, this time before a full Lion Combo. Kisame was slammed into a rockwall. He opened his eyes and saw Guy flying towards him. "This is it. It all comes down to this jutsu!"

Kisame made a blood donation and began unwrapping the shark scales on his sword. It began to glow. "Come on…" Guy went straight into Kisame, and there was a great explosion. Dust was blown into the way, making it impossible for Lee to see what was happening.

Suddenly, Guy came flying backwards. Kisame emerged from the smoke, grinning. His sword was releasing a great amount of chakra.

//-\\

\\-//

"Sasuke, I never imagined you coming here," said Itachi. 'Damn, if only Pein was here with us, then these fools would've been killed.'

Sasuke didn't hesitate one bit. He inserted his lightning chakra into his sword and charged towards Itachi. 'I definetly am going to die. Kakashi himself was hard enough, and I'm already low on chakra. Taking on Sasuke will be difficult. I guess I'll have to call back.'

Itachi then produced a maroon-colored scroll. "This should stall them. Hopefully the other three took care of Kakashi's squad, but I can't count on it. Knowing them, they'll be caught up in separate battles. And there's no time to be underestimating Konoha's ninja. We're pulling back."

Itachi opened the scroll before Sasuke could strike, letting a fire-cracker up high into the air. Sasuke swung his sword at Itachi… then there was a _BOOOM!!!!_


	10. Chapter 9: Colors of the Broken Bonds

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

Chapter 9

Colors of the Broken Bonds

The sky began to turn a bloody red color. Kisame grinned, sending out another wave at Guy and Lee. "So Itachi has lost his match. That must mean Kakashi is much better."

Lee came from below, but Kisame instantly trapped him within a water sphere. "Pathetic loser. Well, I already released the chakra of Samehada. I should at least take him out before retreating," Kisame chuckled, glaring at Guy.

"What sort of chakra is that?" Guy asked himself as he got back onto his feet. That was when he saw Lee trapped. "I can't let this happen. You're going down, Kisame!"

Guy dashed through the trees and slammed Kisame's weapon down. "Here's the finishing blow!" he shouted. "Dynamic Destruction!"

There was another explosion, yet Kisame remained unharmed. Samehada had produced a barrier around Kisame, and the moment Guy touched it, his foot had been caught in a sphere. "Guy-sensei!" Lee cried.

Guy was in a horrible situation. "Seven gates from the two of us," he started, "and Kisame still stands. I never expected myself to be caught up in a situation like this."

"So what will you do now, Konoha's Might Guy? As long as you're caught within the barrier, you'll be unable to move. And to think that you've actually reached your limit to that wild power."

Tears flowed down Guy's cheeks. "I… will not… let my student… be in harm's way!" A greater amount of chakra began forming around him, bringing great shock to Kisame.

'Impossible!' he thought. 'This chakra… it's more than some of the tailed beasts! What… who is this guy?!?"

"You'll never surpass my abilities, Kisame Hoshigaki!" Guy roared. "It's time for _me_ to do the finishing! THE EIGHT GATE! THE GATE OF DEATH!"

The barrier was instantly shattered, leaving Guy to send Kisame soaring backwards. Samehada flew with him, absorbing whatever leaking chakra it could. Guy grabbed it with his hands and tore it in half, causing yet another explosion. The energy flew into Lee's water sphere, tearing it open and releasing him. "Guy-sensei! No! Not the…"

"Lee, now's your chance! FINISH KISAME!" Guy screamed at the top of his lungs.

Lee couldn't move. The shock had paralyzed him. "LEE!!!!"

"GUY-SENSEI!" he screamed back. Kisame snatched the handle of Samehada – there was still a little left.

"His strength is greater than any I've seen. One single focused blow would kill me!" Guy came from millions of directions, hacking away at Kisame's strength.

"LEE! DO SOMETHING! EVEN IF I DIE, YOU MUST CONTINUE!"

Lee fell onto his knees, sobbing. "No… this can't be happening."

Kisame focused all of his chakra to the blade. "Even if he has that much chakra and strength, I should be able to disable him…"

Guy appeared from the front, his fist ready. Kisame swung his sword, creating the final explosion. Lee looked up into the air and saw both bodies fly down from the smoke. "Guy-sensei!" Lee cried again. He jumped into the air and saved his teacher from the fall. Kisame, however, managed to land in the center of the pond he created.

Lee continued sobbing and he stared at his weak teacher. "Lee… you fool…" Guy started. Lee gasped and begged for forgiveness.

"Guy-sensei, why?"

"A shinobi must give his life for the village. Missions involve sacrifices… you learned that didn't you? And even in… ack…" Guy began coughing blood. "Lee… you didn't make me proud…"

There was a shuffling coming from below. Kisame emerged from the pond, still wielding the broken blade. "Interesting, Konoha's Might Guy. I would kill both of you right now, but unfortunately, I lack the necessary chakra. Too bad Itachi decided to call back. Let this be a lesson to Konoha – the Akatsuki will definetly prevail!"

And with those final words, Kisame disappeared.

Lee stared at his sensei, he who was turning even more pale as time flew by. "Lee… I want to tell you something."

"Yes, Guy-sensei. Anything! Please tell me!" Lee responded.

Guy sighed. "Become a great shinobi. You already are. Like Kisame… ah… as he said… let this be a lesson. Make… make sure you defend Konoha with your own life on the line. Protect your friends as if they were family. And lastly… defeat the Akatsuki. Make sure they… they don't prevail. Do that, and I surely shall be proud of you."

With those final words, Guy closed his eyes and went into a deep, peaceful slumber.

//-\\

\\-//

Orochimaru stared into the hazy sky as his memories came back together. "Akatsuki… here…?"

Pein and Konan were standing in front of the organization. "In the event of our whole group being close, should one member fall into great harm's way, activate the _Iro Kakemono_ (colored scrolls)!"

Each of the members lifted the scroll in the hands. They all stared at the labels. '_Aka Kakemono_,' Itachi thought (red scroll). He looked at Kisame's light blue scroll. "_Mizuiro Kakemono_," Itachi whispered. "I see, so the different colors represent different members.

"Indeed," Pein responded. "Hidan will have _Haiiro Kakemono_ (gray scroll), and Kakuzu, take the _Kiiro Kakemono_ (yellow scroll). Deidera and Sasori get the _Daidaiiro_ and _Kuro Kakemono_ (orange and black scrolls). Zetsu… _Midori Kakemono_ (green scroll); Orochimaru… _Murasaki Kakemono_ (purple)! I will have the _Ao Kakemono_ (blue) and Konan will keep the _Shiro Kakemono_ (white)."

Ino lay both Choji and Tenten aside and rushed to the crater in the center of the stadium. Suddenly, a tongue flew out and caught her by the neck. Tsunade and Naruto both turned to the cry and began rushing to save Ino.

"This isn't over!" Orochimaru hissed. "I may be weak, but I will destroy the Akatsuki! They cannot leave! Get out of my way!"

Tsunade grabbed the tongue and cut it with the kunai in her hand, giving great pain to Orochimaru. "Ahhh! This can't go on any longer. Kabuto… you take over!" he hissed. The remains glowed a bright red again and began to recede into a small mark on Kabuto's neck.

Naruto, Ino, and Tsunade had Kabuto surrounded. He groaned, inspecting his environment. "So it seems that Konoha was able to drive us out. Well, don't expect this to be the last invasion. It's time we headed out!"

Before Naruto could attack, Kabuto disappeared.

//-\\

\\-//

Konan grabbed Sakura and pulled her close. "Die, bitch!"

Suddenly, she was blown back by a chakra wave. Neji had hit his mark. Konan regained her balance and flew again at Sakura, only to be slammed down by Neji's Gentle Fist. "Shit!" she cried. "No! How could I, an angel, fall down like this?"

Sakura jumped in front of her and laid a great blow, causing Konan to return to her original form. "No! One more attack… a spear… it will kill you both!"

Neji appeared once more and slammed her below with a Mountain Crusher. The entire chasm began to rumble. Rocks and boulders began to crash down. Konan was trapped underneath the rubble. "AHH!!!" she screamed. Neji saw blood oozing out from the rocks.

Neji and Sakura fought their way to the top, only to be confronted by hundreds of leeches. Shikamaru and Shino hadn't moved an inch in the past hour. Neji and Sakura froze, understanding what was going on.

Zetsu chuckled. "So I see Konan was unable to survive. It's too late. These leeches attack only if they sense movement! Now it's over!"

That was when Zetsu had been caught off his guard. "_Konoha Senpu_!" Lee cried, slamming him down into the ground. Zetsu quickly got up only to see that his arm was bleeding. The leeches turned towards him and charged.

"What?!?" Zetsu cried. "No!"

And so, the leeches began to cover his body, sucking his chakra and life force. Shikamaru threw a great shadow around Zetsu, and Sakura came in for the finishing blow… only to miss. Zetsu was up in the tree, and all the leeches had disappeared. "Interesting. I completely underestimated Konoha's shinobi. To be able to stop Konan and then continue fighting… interesting. But as you can see, Itachi is calling. Unfortunately, I cannot play any longer. So this game is officially over!" With that, Zetsu slipped down into the ground.

//-\\

\\-//

As soon as the signal had been let off, Itachi began running. "Sasuke, I must apologize, but we shall continue our fight another time. Right now, I have a bad feeling…"

As he crossed into a great barren field with both Kisame and Zetsu, he gasped. Standing in front of him was Pein himself. "So, Itachi, where is Naruto Uzumaki?"


	11. A Note from the Author

**Mission: Defend the Leaf Village**

A Note from the Author

I actually enjoyed writing "Defend the Leaf Village" a lot. And to anyone who took the time to read this: thank you very much, it meant a lot. It meant even more for those who actually commented and gave me good advice.

This is a key message: "Defend the Leaf Village" isn't the end. I will be writing a sequel called "The Leaf's Full Strike", which is mainly Naruto's reaction to the results of the invasion (for example, Guy's death, Sasuke's return, etc.). That is why there is no "epilogue" explaining who was talking in the prologue… that will be shown after "The Leaf's Full Strike". As many of you probably guessed, the person in the introduction is Kakashi Hatake.

There should be more and more stories after "The Leaf's Full Strike", including one training story and then the big conclusion… to part I, .

Yes, I _will_ be writing a part II, which will take place around four years later (Naruto will be 19 or 20).

Again, thank you for reading my story, and expect to see a sequel started soon! That's all!

_Zaulster,_

_- He who wants to be an author :D_


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